


when i have kissed you into a memory

by komorebirei, mireille (komorebirei)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrino, Chat Blanc Spoilers, Drabbles, F/M, Fluff, Kiss Writing Prompts, Kisses, LadyNoir - Freeform, Maribug, Marichat, Multichat - Freeform, One-Shots, Post-Season Three, Snekmouse - Freeform, adrienette - Freeform, lukadrien, multinoir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 13,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22175020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/komorebirei/pseuds/komorebirei, https://archiveofourown.org/users/komorebirei/pseuds/mireille
Summary: Repository for miscellaneous-pairing one-shot kiss drabbles.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 236
Kudos: 573





	1. Serendipity (Ladynoir)

**Author's Note:**

> From [kashimalin-fanfiction](https://mireilletan.tumblr.com/post/190125307280/50-types-of-kisses-writing-prompts)'s kiss prompts. Title is a line from ee cummings' poem, [you being in love](https://www.americanpoems.com/poets/eecummings/you-being-in-love-xii/).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Ladynoir.  
> Prompt: _"An accidental brush of lips followed by a pause and going back for another, on purpose."_

Today was the day Ladybug  _ finally  _ realized what was wrong with her.

After months (literal months, how had time flown so quickly?) of dating Luka, and watching Adrien canoodle with Kagami, her insane crush on Adrien had faded somewhat.

She loved how Luka made her feel admired, respected, and heard. His talent impressed her. She was just waiting for the moment she’d fall as deeply in love with him as he seemed to be with her.

But that was the problem. It didn’t happen. Instead, she was filled with an odd sense of frustrated malaise, and she couldn’t place why. The only thing that was clear to her was that her heart was not changing at all. 

Toward Luka, anyway.

She wasn’t sure what exactly had sparked the realization. Maybe it was the way Chat Noir had cracked a joke and gripped her hand encouragingly before launching their elaborate plan of the day, chasing away her anxiety. Maybe the hundredth ‘Ladybug’ was the last straw that made her realize how much she missed him calling her ‘Bugaboo.’ Whatever it was, as of today, she was completely sure that she was in love with her leather-catsuit-sporting partner.

And she shouldn’t be thinking about this in the middle of battle, because  _ that  _ was a close call, and now said partner was tackling her down the subway stairs to dodge.

With a series of grunts and crashes, they tumbled unceremoniously down the steps, thanking their super-suits for preventing too much bruising.

The subways were deserted. The city was on lockdown. The silence was palpable, and even their breaths echoed down the tunnels.

Chat Noir had her pinned against the ground. As he raised himself up, Ladybug turned her head slightly—too quickly. He was still so close. Her lips brushed against his by accident, sending a tingle into her stomach.

Green sclera filled her vision. He was frozen in place, eyes wide with awe. Surely, he felt it too.

Placing one hand on the back of his head, Ladybug pulled him down and kissed him, long and languidly. She felt like she was breathing mountain air for the first time, like the sickness had been banished from her heart. _He_ was what she had been longing for. He stroked a hand down her side, to her hip.

Then abruptly broke the kiss. “L-Ladybug, I… we shouldn’t be doing this.”

She looked to the side, blushing furiously. “S-sorry. I know you’re not in love with me anymore.”

“It’s not that.” He rolled over so he was no longer crushing her, and propped himself up on an elbow. “I… have someone, actually.”

Ladybug’s gut twisted. Of course. That’s why he had stopped with the pet names. But the fact that he hadn’t even told her before threw salt in the fresh wound. Then again, was she any better? She had Luka. “Me too,” she forced out numbly.

How had she gotten herself into this situation?

Chat Noir wasn’t finished. “… but I don’t think I love her. Not the way I love you.”

Ladybug gaped, hurt evaporating at the last three words. “… O-oh. Me too. I don’t love him. I… thought I would eventually, but I realized…” She trailed off.

Chat Noir leaned closer. “Realized what, Bugaboo?”

A crash made the entire subway tunnel vibrate.

“I’ll tell you later.” Ladybug scrambled to her feet, holding out a hand for her partner. His hand in hers, and the nickname she had grown to adore, filled her heart and gave her strength. “Let’s go!”


	2. Extrapolation (Marichat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Marichat.  
> Prompt: A kiss that lasts so long, they are sharing each other’s breaths.

Marinette blinked at the next stage direction on the script.

_[ They kiss. ]_

“Uh, could we just—mmh—”

Chat Noir cut her off by swooping in with a kiss, perfectly on cue, encircling her waist with one arm and cupping her cheek with the other.

The script fluttered to the floor as Marinette’s brain reset and she forgot she was holding something.

Her surroundings faded out as she became enveloped in the scent of cinnamon and expensive cologne, kissing him back tentatively at first, but feeling her self-control ravel like an uncast scarf. His arm tightened around her waist.

From somewhere beneath the haze, the thought drifted up that she was getting too into it—this wasn’t supposed to be a real kiss.

But it felt very real, and Chat Noir didn’t show any signs of stopping, so she didn’t think her enthusiasm would bother him.

Marinette let down her defenses. She gave in to all the questions she hadn’t admitted were lying dormant in her mind, all the unanswered possibilities, all the curiosity, all the confused longing, and let herself kiss him the way she wanted to.

The kiss was slow and tender. His lips were gentle and pliant, chasing hers when she retreated, yielding when she nudged them apart.

Eyes closed, she traced the shell of his ear with her finger, and felt a rumble against her chest as a low purr built up in his. As his chest rose, she breathed in, swallowing his cinnamon-spiced purr. He exhaled, and she extended her breath a second longer, feeling the air move from his nostrils to hers, before breathing out in tandem.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before they finally parted, just as slowly as every step of their dance, and he rested his cheek against hers. Their lips were still touching at the corners, and their chests were matched, rising and falling with long, laboring breaths. His arms were still wrapped around her, and she ran her hand down along the dip of his spine.

“… You don’t really have a play to practice for, do you?” she whispered into his skin.

He nuzzled her cheek. “Whyever would you think not, Princess?”

“This was all just an excuse to kiss me,” she accused, pulling back to give him a mock-scolding look.

“I would never resort to such trickery,” he pouted. “But even if it was…”

His lips curled into a smirk.

“Aren’t we ignoring the more important matter here?”

“… And what’s that?” Marinette asked breathlessly, very aware of his hand traveling from her waist to the small of her back in a subtle caress.

“How purrfect our onstage chemistry is?” He grinned.

Heat rose to Marinette’s face, and she buried into his chest. “That wasn’t supposed to happen,” she mumbled. “I was just doing this to help you, but you tricked me! You’re so mean. You don’t even like me!”

“I think we both know better than that, Princess.” His voice came out as a low hum, and he stepped toward the chaise longue, taking her with him. “Come on, I think that’s enough rehearsing for today. Let’s talk…”


	3. Reassurance (Adrino)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Adrino  
> Prompt: _Kissing tears from the other’s face._

“Dude, what happened?” Nino sat down beside Adrien and threw an arm over his shoulder.

Adrien looked up, surprised that he'd been followed into the courtyard, and swiped at his eyes… before deciding he didn’t care if Nino saw him cry. More than anything, he wanted a friend—a friend he could be honest with.

“I don’t know what I did wrong this time,” he lamented. “Marinette’s always so bubbly, but the second I come near, she shuts down. I feel like she’s mad at me, and I don’t even know what I did to ruin everything. Why do I suck so much at relationships?”

Nino rubbed his back. “Adrien… I’m sure it isn’t as bad as you think.”

“She asked practically everyone in the class for their opinions on her hat design except me!” Adrien wailed. “She hates me…”

“I know for a _fact_ that she doesn’t hate you,” Nino insisted firmly.

The look in Adrien’s eyes revealed how little he believed his friend. “How do you know?”

“Uhh…” That wasn’t something Nino was at liberty to say. He pressed his lips together.

“… _Exactly,”_ Adrien agreed with his silence, misery growing on his face as fresh tears pooled in the corners of his eyes. “All the evidence points to the contrary.”

Nino cursed mentally. “Dude, what evidence? How’d you jump to that conclusion? There could be a million reasons she didn’t ask you that have nothing to do with her hating you.”

Adrien sighed dolefully and started counting on his fingers.”Well, first, she gets all awkward every time I talk to her—”

“That’s because—”

 _“And_ if you remember, she begged you guys not to leave her alone with me at the wax museum.”

Nino smashed his face into his palm. Difficult to defend Marinette when she kept shooting herself in the foot.

Adrien unfurled his third finger and continued, “She switched with Mylène to avoid being my partner for the literature project…”

“—Look, dude,” Nino cut in, unable to bear listening to this painful list of misunderstandings. “I know how it seems, but that’s just Marinette being… Marinette! It doesn’t mean she hates you. She actually really likes you. I mean, not like-likes you. Just, you know. _She doesn't hate you!”_

“Thanks, Nino, but you’re just saying that to make me feel better,” Adrien grumbled. “I just wish I weren’t… such an _idiot_ about all this. Marinette is really important to me, and it hurts that I have no idea how to fix this. I’m so terrible at dealing with people!” The flow of tears increased along with the volume of his voice.

“You know what, bro? Oh, _screw it.”_ His words weren’t having the desired effect, so he gave up on words. Feeling helpless against Adrien's onslaught of negativity, and hating to see him cry, Nino took him by the jaw and turned him so they were face to face. Ever-so-gently, he leaned in to kiss away the offending tears, one by one. “I don’t know what else to say to you except that you’re the _best friend_ I’ve ever had, and ‘terrible’ is like… the _opposite_ of what you are. You’ve gotta stop blaming yourself.”

Adrien blinked in shock, stuck on the fact that Nino had kissed him, several times. “… Friends are allowed to do that?”

“What, cheer each other up?” Nino let out a breathy laugh of affectionate exasperation. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.”

Slowly, the corners of Adrien’s eyes crinkled as he broke into a genuine smile. “… Guess I still have a lot to learn. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, hope your day is going well! This was [Buggy's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessBuggyCat/pseuds/PrincessBuggyCat) request. My first time writing Adrino. XD;; What did you think? I guess this isn't fully Adrino, but I like pure, friendship-style Adrino where the bromance is a little strong. :3
> 
> [Would you like to request a kiss?](https://mireilletan.tumblr.com/post/190143542890/send-me-a-request)


	4. Breaking Point (Adrienette)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Adrienette  
> Prompt: _Wet kisses after finding refuge from the rain._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware: Chat Blanc spoilers.

Marinette noted the grey sky as they emerged from the subway, en route to the Louvre.

“This is fun. Isn’t it?” Adrien chirped, shifting his messenger bag to the other side so he could playfully hold out a gentlemanlike elbow for her to take. “It almost feels like a date.”

Marinette pushed his elbow away gently, groaning internally. She should have expected that after he found out her identity, he’d keep making it painfully clear how he felt toward her, just like he always had behind the mask.

“It’s  _ not  _ a date. It’s a class project, and I’m going to need your help, so stop fooling around and focus.”

He smiled at her, a touch too earnestly and with an undertone of sadness. “I know. I’m just joking around. Sorry.”

They continued to walk in strained silence. Marinette felt a drop in her hair, and held out a hand to confirm if it wasn’t just her imagination. Another drop landed in her palm.

“But… you do know I’m serious, right?” Adrien asked softly, looking at the ground.

Marinette’s heart clenched. She didn’t trust herself to try saying anything.

“I love you,” Adrien continued in hushed tones. “Even if you don’t feel the same way… I just wanted you to know that.”

Marinette swallowed.

“Thanks for spending time with me.” His tone was humbly self-deprecating, as if he thought it was a burden for her.

Marinette turned her face away so he wouldn’t see the tears starting to build up.

“Even if it’s just a class project, I cherish every minute with—”

“Stop it,” Marinette interrupted sharply, halting abruptly and turning to face him.

Adrien sucked in a breath and shut his mouth, eyes heavy with hurt.

Marinette couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. “I’m sorry, it’s just—you’re killing me, Adrien.”

As if on cue, the sky broke, releasing a torrent of rain that drenched them both on contact.

“Come on.” Adrien grabbed her hand and led her toward an arch of the Palace, running in front to hide his pained expression from her.

Once they were safely out of the downpour, backed against one of the arch columns, Marinette pulled him close so he could hear her over the roar of rain hitting pavement. “It’s not that I don’t love you.”

“What?”

“But we  _ can’t—  _ you don’t understand. You didn’t see it. I saw the world about to  _ end  _ because of us. I saw the moon split in half! There was no one else alive, it was just  _ you, _ all alone, and—I was  _ dead, _ and—” Anguished tears streamed down Marinette’s cheeks. “You said it was because of our love! We  _ can’t  _ be together, so if you could  _ please  _ just spare me your confessions, because I don’t know how many times I can survive hearing the love of my life confess to me and having to make you think I don’t love you back!”

Adrien stared at her in shock, putting together the puzzle pieces to understand what she was talking about, and processing the realization that she was in love with him, too.

Marinette sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand, not sure if the wetness was water, snot, or tears.

Adrien grasped her wrist, pinned her hand against the column, and kissed her. Her free hand went to his dripping hair, and she kissed him back fervently—slick, sloppy, and desperate.

“That was  _ one  _ possible timeline, Marinette,” he rasped when their lips parted.

“But it could still—”

_ “Anything _ could happen. You told me about Bunnix’s burrow. There could be  _ billions _ of timelines.”

They kissed again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed into his chest, feeling him draw her closer by the waist, letting the hope contained in his words anaesthetize her fears.

“So,” Adrien breathed between kisses, “let’s make sure…” It was a moment before their faces slid apart, and he pulled her into a tight embrace, wet clothing warming between their combined body heat. “… that this is the one where Ladybug and Chat Noir are a brilliant, unbeatable duo who kick the bad guys’ butts and save the world with the power of unbreakable love.”

Marinette chuckled, weak from catharsis, seeking refuge in her partner. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there. How are you? What did you think? Do you like these drabbles so far? I'm having fun with these kiss prompts, but for some reason I've been hating everything I write lately and I don't know if it's any good. I think I like this one, though.


	5. Exploration (Lukadrien)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Pairing:** Lukadrien  
>  **Prompt:** _Tentative kisses given in the dark._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I wrote this drabble at [Mikauzoran's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikauzoran/pseuds/Mikauzoran) request. This Luka and Adrien could be interpreted as borrowed from her series, [Springtime in Wonderland](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1526303), but a divergent universe. In her series, Luka sets boundaries with Adrien in terms of declaring love and kissing, since it would mean something different for Luka than it would for Adrien. For the most part, within Mikau's series, Adrien respects those boundaries. Here, he doesn't quite.
> 
> (Of course, they could be any Luka or Adrien, so it's not necessary to have read Springtime in Wonderland for this to make sense, but I highly recommend it since it's beautiful.)

Adrien propped himself up on one elbow, hovering over the curve of Luka’s bare shoulder. “… Please… forgive me.”

Luka didn’t even stir. The portholes were uncovered, as usual, and the generous light of the waxing-gibbous moon rimmed the contours of his turned back in silvery outlines.

“Luka.” Adrien touched his lips to Luka’s arm lightly, then he placed another tentative kiss beside it.

Luka pulled up the blanket slightly—without covering the spot Adrien had been kissing, but the message was clear enough.

“Luka. Please.” Adrien waited a moment to see how the other boy would respond, but when he got nothing, he began peppering a trail of barely-there kisses from Luka’s right shoulder to his neck. “I’m sorry,” he tried again.

Luka shuddered under Adrien’s ministrations, but still refused to react.

“Luc—” Adrien blew out a sigh. “I… I was confused, okay? I _am_ confused. I wasn’t trying to use you, or anything.” He retreated from Luka’s shoulder and fell back against the pillow petulantly.

Luka finally rolled over to face Adrien, eyes glimmering faintly in the darkness. Adrien thought he read an accusation in them, but when Luka spoke, his tone was gentle, devoid of any fire. “I told you that I love you, and you kissed me. You knew what I’d think.”

“Look, I don’t actually _know_ that I’m not attracted to guys,” Adrien clarified, indignant. “I just… wanted to know how it would feel, and… I wasn’t ready for the answer, so I panicked. That doesn’t mean it was just an experiment!”

Luka sighed. He wasn’t mad at Adrien. He was more frustrated with himself for falling in too deep, reading the signs wrong, getting his hopes up. The way Adrien had backed out made him feel repulsive, undesirable, unwanted. “It’s okay. Let’s just go to sleep and talk about it in the morning, okay?”

“Luka, I kissed you because I _wanted_ to.”

“You were curious,” Luka translated, as if more for his own benefit than Adrien’s. “It’s okay, Adrien—I really do understand, and I don’t hold it against you. But I need a moment to myself, if that’s okay.”

Adrien pouted. “You’re kicking me out?”

“No.” Luka settled down with his back to Adrien again, the warmth in his voice a contrast to his hostile body language. “You can stay.”

A thick silence descended, in which the only sound was Adrien shifting restlessly under the covers. He curled up behind Luka, not touching him, but close enough that he could smell soap and deodorant wafting off his skin.

Very quietly, Adrien admitted, “I wasn’t just curious. I wanted to kiss you because… I _like_ you, Luka.”

Luka stilled, tapering his breath to almost nothing.

Noticing this and encouraged by it, Adrien brushed aside the hair at the nape of Luka’s neck, exposing new skin. He planted a kiss there, delicately, and heard a puff of air escape Luka’s nose. “Are you asleep?”

Luka sighed in defeat, then turned around. “You know I’m awake.”

Adrien edged forward until he could feel Luka’s exhalations stirring his nose and mouth. “I actually enjoyed kissing you. I’m pretty sure I didn’t mean what I said—I just panicked. Can we try again?”

Luka put a hand on Adrien’s cheek and dragged a thumb across his cheekbone. “Adrien… I love you. I want to give you everything you ask for, but… this isn't fair.” The last words escaped in a mumble, as if spoken with great difficulty.

“Luka…”

“Adrien.” Luka’s voice took on a hard edge.

Adrien nudged Luka’s nose with his, in a catlike plea.

Drawn in as if toward a singularity, Luka aligned his mouth to Adrien’s, but whined another low warning. “Adrien…” 

Adrien knew he was pushing the boundary, but Luka wasn’t rejecting him. He hadn’t been lying when he said he enjoyed the kiss they had shared before. He was certain he cared very much about Luka, and knowing how Luka felt only made him more tempting. Maybe Adrien had been wrong about himself. How could he know for sure unless Luka allowed him to try?

Their lips met lightly, just a brief moment of contact. Reacting to Adrien’s touch like an anemone, Luka’s lips parted, welcoming.

Adrien kissed him, and Luka gave in, imagining himself spiraling blissfully toward his doom.

“I like kissing you,” Adrien whispered, reaching out with searching fingers to study the ridge of Luka’s eyebrow, the hollow of his cheek, the corner of his mouth. “And I adore you. Isn’t that enough for now? Give me a chance.”

Luka closed his hand around Adrien’s, gave it a light kiss, and tucked it in between their bare chests. His eyes were closed, his expression neutral, a mask of trained serenity. “Let’s go to sleep.”

Adrien tried to humor him, and closed his eyes, but the air was too still and self-conscious as they lay in the darkness amidst a thicket of questions. Neither of them was asleep, each very aware of the other, clad in only boxers and mere centimeters apart.

“What’s wrong?” Luka asked, after an extended pause.

“You’re still angry with me.”

Luka reached out and draped an arm over Adrien’s neck. “I’m not angry. I still love you. We’re good, Angel.” He buried his fingers in Adrien’s downy hair and started rubbing slow circles into his scalp.

A purr thrummed from Adrien’s chest in a gradual crescendo, making the entire mattress vibrate.

Within minutes, ensconced in a haze of comfort, they drifted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why hello there. What did you think of this drabble? I'm running out of requested prompts (one left), so if you want to see something, [feel free to ask](https://mireilletan.tumblr.com/post/190143542890/send-me-a-request). ^_^


	6. Something Sweet (Maribug)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: MariBug (Marinette / Mister Bug—I don't know the actual ship name. ^^;)  
> Prompt: _One person has to bend down in order to kiss their partner, who is standing on their tip-toes to reach their partner’s._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I bent the prompt a little, but I hope it's okay. ^_^ This was [Yuumi](http://yuumi0035.tumblr.com/)'s request.
> 
> There's a little bit of parallel between this and the [kwami swap discussion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22163848/chapters/53110876) in my Ladrien kiss story, [whatever a sun will always sing is you](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22163848/chapters/52909300), but it's a different universe where Ladybug and Adrien aren't dating.
> 
> Hope you enjoy. :3

“Princess!”

Marinette nearly fell out of her lounge chair, heart beating a mile a minute, as she was rudely jolted out of her post-akuma catnap by her visitor’s abrupt arrival. Realizing she wasn’t in danger, she calmed down. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Yes, it’s me.” Mister Bug made a series of surprisingly convincing model poses. It was his first time seeing Marinette as Mister Bug, and he wanted her to appreciate the full extent of his spotted glory. “Don’t you think I look good in spots?”

Marinette gave him a flat look. “… It’s a little weird, but not bad.” Behind her back, she discreetly slipped off Chat Noir’s ring and slid it into her rear pocket.

“Weird, Princess?” Mister Bug put a hand to his heart, feigning hurt.

He was obviously joking, but watching his innocently happy expression crumple gave Marinette a stab of guilt, and she wondered if she was being too mean. “I’m just used to seeing you in black leather, that’s all! You look so… uh… bright like this. It’s just different-weird.”

“‘Bright,’ huh? … I’ll take that as a compliment.” Mister Bug grinned.

His eyes looked very green. Somehow, they looked even _more_ green and luminescent surrounded by white sclera than they did usually. —And familiar. They also looked _familiar_ for some reason. Why? Marinette reasoned that of course they looked familiar; he was still her Chat Noir, after all.

“Anyway,” Mister Bug began, “I actually came here for a reason, though maybe I should go downstairs and do it the proper way.” He unhooked his yo-yo and made to throw it, but Marinette snagged his hand.

“No no, it’s okay, you’re already here. What did you want?”

“Umm, well, Ladybug’s kwami eats sweet things, so I came to buy some cookies,” he shrugged, looking sheepish, “but then I saw you.”

“Buy? Mister Bug, we’re friends,” Marinette chided. “Just ask me for cookies anytime and I’ll give them to you for free.” She opened her trap door, took off her shoes, and lowered herself inside.

“Wow, thanks, Princess. You’re the best.” Mister Bug leaned against the railing, prepared to wait.

Marinette stuck her head out of the trap door. “Aren’t you coming?”

“Oh!!” Mister Bug leapt up, a blush spreading to his cheeks. He’d been in Marinette’s room before on several occasions, but that didn’t mean he felt comfortable enough to just hop down onto her bed without an invitation. “It’s okay. I mean, that’s your room and, uh. I respect your privacy. I can just wait out here!”

“And have all of Paris know we’re friends?” Marinette clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Come on, Mr. Buggy.”

Mister Bug followed her shyly.

When he reached the floor of her attic room, she was already transferring cookies from the jar on her desk to a ziploc bag.

“You know,” Mister Bug announced, making conversation to fill the time, “I’m really happy.”

Marinette looked up to find him grinning uncontrollably. “Why’s that?”

“Ladybug didn’t scold me too much today, unlike last time. She thinks we can switch miraculous more often and that we’ll be a stronger team that way. She _trusts_ me,” he gushed.

To be completely honest, the miraculous switches were still unnerving to Marinette, and she had been on the verge of telling him ‘Never mind, never again’ the next time they met in costume. Yet, after seeing his childlike look of excitement, she didn’t have the heart to take that away anymore.

“… I guess I’ll be seeing you again for more cookies then.” She winked and handed him the ziploc bag.

“Thanks, Marinette!” Mister Bug beamed.

Marinette laughed at his enthusiasm. “Does the Ladybug miraculous make you like… extra hyper or something?”

Mister Bug‘s face heated up. He didn’t know his feelings were so obvious. “No, I’m just happy. I’m sort of on a high because… I dunno, I guess I feel special sharing something with her. Wearing her miraculous makes me feel closer to her. I know it’s silly.”

Marinette caught his blush as if it were contagious. She didn’t know what to say to his sappy admission. “Oh. That’s… not silly, it’s actually really sweet.”

So sweet, in fact, that her heart was doing strange things and suddenly she felt the urge to show some (platonic!) affection toward her adorable partner. Like a kiss on the cheek, which was totally socially acceptable among friends. Acting on impulse, she rose on tiptoes to reach her target.

“Huh?” Mister Bug clearly didn’t expect what she was going to do. He followed her line of focus, turning his head slightly to check if there was something of interest over his shoulder.

Clumsily, Marinette’s lips collided with his, and she jumped back in mortification. “ _Oops._ Um, I didn’t mean to do that. Uhh—”

Mister Bug burst out in nervous laughter, rubbing the back of his head, his face almost the same color as his suit. “Haha! I-It’s fine!” He only reddened further when he realized she had actually been trying to kiss him on the cheek.

“Anyway, hurry up!” Marinette hid her face by forcibly turning him around and walking him to the ladder of her bed. “Your kwami must be hungry. Don’t keep it waiting. Go feed it!” She pushed him until he started climbing.

Mister Bug was laughing, less nervously now. “Okay, okay. Thanks again, Marinette. See you next time.”

She saw him off at the balcony, then collapsed and groaned in embarrassment as soon as he was out of sight. “Why did I do that? I’m such an idiot.”

“Hmm… I think he’s right,” Plagg evaluated, appearing at her shoulder. “It’s just a matter of time.”

“ _What?!_ What are you talking about?” Marinette crossed her arms indignantly.

“Ah, nothing.” He did a lazy loop-de-loop in front of Marinette’s face. “I should get back. Some cheese for the journey?”

Marinette gave him a look.

“Please?”

Marinette softened and gave Plagg a little scratch on the head, letting him settle comfortably into her palm for more affection. “Come on, you greedy kitty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't seen them, check out Yuumi's [adorable Mister Bug art and comics](https://yuumi0035.tumblr.com/tagged/mr-bug). She draws him sooo cute!
> 
> Anyway, did you like this drabble? What did you think? ^_^


	7. Synchrony (Lukadrien)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Pairing:** Lukadrien  
>  **Prompt:** _French kisses where they trace every tooth with their tongues as though trying to memorize them._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day! So, I was complaining to [Mikau](https://mikauzoran.tumblr.com) about how I was dreading this prompt, and praising her for [doing a great job with it](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22137436/chapters/53042662), and the very next day a sweet Anon requested it from me with Lukadrien. Hah. Serves me right for complaining, I guess. ^_^;
> 
> I hope you like it. :P Have a great weekend!

When Adrien realized Luka was sweeping his tongue over each and every individual tooth inside his mouth, he broke the kiss with a gale of phlegmy, cough-riddled laughter. “Blue boy,” he gasped, regaining control of his lungs, “Are you _trying_ to collect all my germs?”

“You taste different when you’re sick,” Luka explained, unfazed by Adrien’s convulsions. “You taste sweet.”

“I’m going to make _you_ sick,” Adrien cautioned.

“That’s okay,” Luka hummed, going for another kiss.

Adrien leaned away with half-hearted intent to extract himself from Luka’s embrace. “No, stop. I don’t want you to be sick. This is not fun.” He turned to sneeze into his elbow. “I’m sorry for my lack of self-control… I shouldn’t have kissed you in the first place.”

“I show my devotion to you by willingly subjecting myself to infection, and _now_ you’re having second thoughts? A little too late for that, Love,” Luka teased, pulling Adrien gently back against his chest.

“I’m serious,” Adrien protested, sniffling, but without putting up much resistance to Luka’s coaxing. “We could, uhh… do something that involves less physical contact.”

Luka chucked at Adrien’s futile solicitude. “Nah, not interested. I already have your germs, and you can’t take them back. Besides, you know I hate to see you suffer… I’d feel better if I could suffer along with you.”

“You’re such a sap. I’m hardly suffering, it’s just a cold,” Adrien pouted, as Luka pressed kisses along his jawline, on a tantalizing return path to his mouth.

“So we’ll share it,” Luka avowed, low and husky, just before their lips made contact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Marichat coming up! ^_^


	8. Hypothetical... or Not (Marichat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Pairing:** Marichat  
>  **Prompt:** _One person pouting, only to have it removed by a kiss from the other person._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, there. I got a few Marichat requests, so there's more coming. ^_^

“Marinette, what’s wrong with me?”

Marinette paused in embroidering a delicate floral pattern to the edge of her cloche hat and eyed Chat Noir, who was draped over her chaise longue idly playing with her Ladybug doll. “What do you mean, what’s wrong with you?”

“Do I have a horrible personality?”

“What?” Marinette looked at him like he was crazy. “No! Of course not. Why would you even ask that?”

“Well…” Chat laid the Ladybug doll on his chest and tucked his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling with a troubled expression. “Hordes of girls have a crush on my civilian self, but—”

“Hordes?” Marinette interrupted, snorting. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, literally. I’m not exaggerating. It’s actually pretty annoying—”

Marinette rolled her eyes.

Noting her skeptical reaction, Chat scowled. “Okay, suspend your disbelief and hear me out. I have a point, I’m not just trying to brag.”

“Okay, go on,” Marinette invited appeasingly.

“So these girls…” Chat went on tentatively, looking over at Marinette to see if she would give more attitude. When she kept sewing with a neutral countenance, he continued. “They don’t really know me. They just like the way I look. Only two girls know the real me, but neither of them likes me that way.”

“Two girls… Ladybug and me?” Marinette clarified without taking her eyes off her project.

“Yup,” Chat confirmed dejectedly, not at all bothered by how transparent he was to Marinette. He had nothing to hide from her. “So, I’m wondering if my personality makes me unattractive or something. I mean, pretty much any other girl I know would date me in a heartbeat.”

Marinette scoffed at his audacious statement, refusing to take him seriously even though he didn’t _sound_ like he was pulling her leg. “Don’t be silly. There’s nothing wrong with your personality, Chat Noir.” _Except maybe that ego,_ she tacked on mentally, refraining from saying it aloud only because he was in the middle of an insecurity crisis.

“Then, what’s wrong with me?” Chat wailed.

“First of all…” Marinette tucked the needle into the edge of the hat and set it down. “We both know this is about Ladybug, not me.” He clearly couldn’t care less what _Marinette_ thought of him.

Chat gave her an inscrutable look. “… I mean, yeah, essentially.”

Marinette’s mind glossed over his muttered _I guess._

“Just because a girl doesn’t like you that way doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you,” Marinette stated, using her toes to launch herself off her desk in her rolling chair, closer to Chat.

Chat raised himself up on one arm, Ladybug doll tumbling off his chest in the process, and looked into Marinette's eyes searchingly. “… Is it the bell? It looks stupid, doesn’t it?”

Marinette laughed under her breath, beginning to get a little fed up by his inability to not take Ladybug’s lack of romantic interest as a personal affront. Mischievously, she pulled him toward her by the bell, bringing them face to face.

Chat gulped audibly.

“You’ve got to be kidding me if you think the bell is the issue,” Marinette deadpanned.

“… Can I ask you something?” Chat asked, an odd mix of cheeky and shy.

“What?”

“Would you kiss me?”

Unthinkingly, Marinette glanced down at Chat’s lips, feeling her face heat up slightly when she realized she had done so. “Chat, I _love_ your personality, but I don’t like you that way.” She released the bell, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. No, she was _not_ going to let her mind be tainted by the thought of kissing him right now.

Chat let himself fall back against the chaise longue as if exhausted. “Girls are so complicated…”

Marinette wasn’t sure what to make of that comment. She thought he _knew_ she didn’t feel that way about him, so why was he acting disappointed by her rejection? It wasn’t like he would have answered any differently.

To make her point, she challenged, “Would _you_ kiss _me?”_

Chat’s eyes abruptly locked onto hers, then skittered away just as quickly. “I—umm…”

Marinette blushed, realizing his answer wasn’t a flat-out no.

“I-I’m in love with Ladybug,” Chat stuttered.

Marinette’s mouth fell open. “You were supposed to say ‘no.’”

Chat sat up, holding up both hands defensively. “I mean, objectively speaking, I don’t think you’re unkissable! I wouldn’t be opposed to it, if I weren’t in love with Ladybug. I mean—I can’t say that I _wouldn’t_ kiss you!”

Marinette stared at him as he babbled, flabbergasted that he was taking her rhetorical question seriously.

“… What, why do you look so surprised?” Chat huffed. “I’m just being honest. I mean, you’re cute, Marinette, and I… what’s with that face, is the idea so horrifying to you? Great, now I’ve made things awkward. I guess we’ve uncovered that I find you more attractive than you find me. You’re sure making me feel unkissable right now, thanks.” He pouted.

Emboldened by his sincerity, Marinette interrupted his word-vomit by pulling on the bell again and kissing him briefly on the lips. “There. See? You’re wrong. You’re not unkissable.”

Chat gaped at her, hardly daring to believe what had just happened. Then a realization dawned on him. “Marinette… that was my first kiss.”

“No, it wasn’t,” she countered offhandedly, rolling back over to her desk. “I’ve seen the photos on the Ladyblog.”

Chat sprang up from the chaise longue. “It was the first kiss I’m going to remember for the rest of my life!”

“I take it back, then.” Marinette picked up her hat-in-progress, trying to appear nonchalant, as if the kiss had been nothing. “It wasn’t a real kiss, anyway. It was just to prove a point.”

“It was real. You can't take it back! Marinette!” Chat hovered over her shoulder, but she just turned the chair back to him, making herself look busy to cover her vulnerability.

“That’s not fair, Marinette,” Chat whined. “You’d kiss me, and you love my personality, but you don’t like me that way. What do I have to do to make a girl like me?”

“What’s that saying about the sum of the parts…?” Marinette murmured, pretending to be unconcerned, while at the same time her brain was trying to pick at the intentions hidden behind Chat’s words.

“So you’re saying the parts of me are good but when you put it all together I’m still found lacking? What’s _wrong_ with me then? Are you _trying_ to drive me crazy?” Chat swiveled the chair around.

Marinette was taken aback by his flushed face, his eyes sparkling with earnestness and anguish.

“… Why do you care what I think about you, anyway?” she whispered.

Chat groaned and buried his face in his hands. 

Marinette stood and touched his arm. “Hey.”

Chat lowered his hands.

Marinette surged up and kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. Thanks for reading! How was it? Let me know your thoughts. :3 Stay tuned for more Marichat drabbles... plus one Adrigami, and one Ladynoir.


	9. Precious Person (Multichat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Pairing:** Multichat (Multimouse / Chat Noir)  
>  **Prompt:** _A kiss paired with a tight hug, knocking the breath out of the person being hugged._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this pairing. ^_^ Hope you enjoy the drabble.

“Have you seen her?” Chat Noir shook Viperion’s shoulder as Ladybug threw her Lucky Charm, righting fallen monuments, removing scorch marks from the ground, rearranging out-of-place vehicles.

“Seen who?” Viperion frowned, scanning the vicinity.

“Multimouse. She went into the sewer grate and I never saw her come out.”

Viperion shrugged, looking troubled. He replayed each loop in his mind, but couldn’t remember ever seeing Multimouse resurface. “I haven’t seen her. But I’m sure she’s safe, after Ladybug’s miraculous cure.”

“I need to be sure.” Chat looked around frantically, but didn’t see a hint of pink and twin buns. “Ladybug!”

“Yes, Chaton?” Reattaching her yo-yo to her hip, Ladybug held out a fist routinely, but Chat ignored it.

“Multimouse. Have you seen her? She disappeared after she went into the sewer!”

Ladybug looked puzzled, then a flash of strange amusement crossed her face. “She’s safe, Minou, don’t worry.”

“How do you know?” Chat demanded, quickly becoming exasperated with his teammates’ apparent lack of concern. This was _Marinette_ they were talking about. He wasn’t about to just _assume_ she was okay and move on with his life. “Did you _see_ her?”

Ladybug patted Chat on the arm. “Trust me, she’s fine. She’ll probably turn up soon to return her miraculous—oh!” She jabbed the air with her finger as a thought came to her. “Tell you what. Why don’t _you_ retrieve it from her? My time’s about to run out, anyway… and that way, you’ll see that she’s safe.”

Chat nodded. “You got it, Milady.”

Ladybug smirked and cued Viperion, who was standing by, to accompany her, before giving Chat her parting words. “I’ll send you the location to meet me with the mouse miraculous once we recharge. Bug out!”

With that, she and Viperion were off, leaving Chat Noir fretting in the square, still no sign of Multimouse.

His miraculous gave its three-minute warning beep. He began pacing, considering whether to go looking for her. But if he left the square, she might not know where to find him.

A minute later, Multimouse came running up the street, nearly tripping on a pothole but catching herself just in time.

“Multimouse!” Chat cried, beside himself with relief. He ran up and tackled her ungracefully, pressing a fierce kiss to the top of her head before he could think twice about it. “You’re okay!”

“Of course,” she giggled breathlessly, patting Chat’s back. “I ended up a few streets over and had to reorient myself. Were you worried about me? Silly kitty!”

“Sorry.” Realizing he was squeezing the air out of her lungs, Chat released her, gazing down at her fondly. “I had to see with my own eyes that my warrior princess was safe.” He winked.

Multimouse blushed, pink as the highlights on her suit, as Chat’s miraculous beeped its final warning. Latching onto the distraction, she grabbed his arm to hurry him toward the nearest alley. “Now is not the time to flirt, Chat Noir! I need to give you my miraculous.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another pairing I really like is Snekmouse (? What's the actual ship name? Is this just a joke or is this the real name? :P), aka Aspik / Multimouse. Think about it... they each know the other's civilian identity, so it's essentially Adrienette, but they both think they're anonymous under a mask, so they're without inhibitions. A recipe for fun.
> 
> I'm going to pick one of the prompts to do with them, unless someone wants to pick it for me. :3 (You want to pick it? Tell me in the comments or [send me a Tumblr ask](https://mireilletan.tumblr.com/ask). The prompts are [here](https://mireilletan.tumblr.com/post/190125307280/50-types-of-kisses-writing-prompts), and the list of taken ones is at the bottom of [this post](https://mireilletan.tumblr.com/post/190143542890/send-me-a-request).) If I get multiple, I'll just do multiple Snekmouse drabbles. :P
> 
> Cheerio!


	10. A Place to Crash (Marichat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt:** _A hello/good-bye kiss that is given without thinking - where neither person thinks twice about it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also used a random prompt generator and got this: _Chat Noir gets locked out of their house while their family is gone, so they spend the night at Marinette's place._
> 
> So. ^^;; Pointless friendship fluff. Slowly getting back to these alternate pairing kiss drabbles while attempting to work on my other stories, too. Hope you enjoy.

Chat Noir froze mid-vault upon noticing that his window was closed. _Oh, no._

He’d forgotten that he hadn’t come from his room this time. The akuma had struck while he was on his way to an evening study session, and after being chased through the streets by a mob of sentient coats, Adrien had hidden his book-laden school bag in an alley before transforming. (Which alley? Excellent question.) His bag containing his phone with the digital fob to get into the house. 

Nathalie and his father were on an emergency business trip to Milan. His bodyguard was on holiday in Bulgaria for a week. He was supposed to be home alone on his best behavior, but now… he was locked out.

“Ugh, I’m too tired for this,” he whined, sliding down his pole dejectedly. Night vision would make searching easier, but he was so ready to just collapse into his bed and fall asleep upon contact.

Scrubbing his palm over his eyes, he seriously considered curling up on a bench in the Place des Vosges and taking a quick nap to recharge. But the potential complications attached to that option were too many to count.

The worst part was, he had two minutes left in his transformation, and no more cheese.

So, he made a split-second decision and changed his trajectory toward the closest place he’d probably be accepted at such an hour with the least amount of trouble.

—

To his immense relief, her light was on. He landed on her balcony and knelt to tap on the trapdoor, feeling a bit nervous but too exhausted to overthink it.

Marinette opened the trap door and peeked out, still wearing the same clothes she’d had on at school earlier that day. Only half her hair was in a pigtail, as if she had been in the process of taking it down when he had knocked. Yet, in all her disheveled state, she looked so blessedly welcoming in Chat Noir’s eyes that all he could do was stare for a moment, rendered sentimental and teary-eyed by fatigue-induced delirium.

Marinette hastily pulled out the ponytail holder from the other half of her hair, surprise and confusion flitting over her face. “Chat Noir? What are you doing here?”

“Marinette!” In a belated reaction, Chat seized her by the shoulders and exuberantly gave her _la bise_ on both cheeks. “I am _so_ happy to see you! At risk of sounding completely irresponsible, and posing a burden to you… I’m kind of in a predicament right now.”

Marinette’s brow furrowed in consternation, too concerned about her partner’s well being to give his greeting a second thought. “What’s wrong?”

He explained in a rush. “Well, I’m locked out of my house, my transformation’s about to run out, I don’t have any cheese for my kwami, and … I’m shattered. I left my stuff in an alley and I just _can’t_ go out and look for it right now. I just… I’m _so tired._ I was wondering if… if you would be so kind…”

He felt too awkward to actually make the request, but thankfully, Marinette was quick on the uptake.

“Come in, Minou.” Shaking her head in fond exasperation, she opened the trap door wider, making way for him to come inside.

“Sorry,” he muttered as he jumped down onto her bed, feeling guilty as always to be stepping on her covers.

“Don’t worry about it, I do it all the time and Maman washes the sheets once a week.” She waved off his concern. “Cheese, you said?”

“Camembert, if you have any,” Chat elaborated apologetically, rubbing the back of his head. “If you don’t, he’ll be fine with any cheese. Thanks, by the way. You're a life saver.”

“No problem.” Marinette winked, beginning to lower herself through the hatch to the first floor. "Be right back."

—

When Marinette returned, the room was silent. “Chat?” she called, to no answer. She set the plate of cheese down on her desk and mounted the ladder, only to let out a squeak and hastily shut her eyes when she caught sight of civilian clothes and a mess of blond hair illuminated by the glow lamp above her bed.

 _Oh my God, I almost saw him._ She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heart pound against it.

There was a rustle of movement from the bed, and she scrambled down the ladder, turning away and covering her face with both hands. “Stay up there!” she cried in unnecessary panic. “We only have Brie, hope that’s okay.”

“Oh, that’ll suffice, thanks,” a drawly voice answered. “Don’t worry, the kid’s out.”

Cautiously, both hands still covering her eyes, Marinette turned around, then peeked through her fingers at Plagg.

“Hey, Ladybug.”

Her breath escaped in a puff, and she gave him a sheepish smile. “Hey, Plagg. It’s on the table. Eat up.”

As Plagg attacked the Brie, Marinette retrieved a spare blanket from her closet and curled up on the chaise longue, eyelids already drooping. She was beyond caring that she was still in her day clothes.

“Y’know—mmf…” Plagg chewed and swallowed a mouthful before continuing. “He probably wouldn’t mind if you joined him up there.” He popped another wedge into his mouth.

Marinette’s cheeks flared up. She leveled her _throw_ pillow at Plagg in retaliation before deciding she didn’t want to have to get up and retrieve it, and placed it back under her head.

She scowled at the kwami and muttered, “You should be glad I’m tired. Otherwise you’d… you’d be in trouble right now,” she threatened weakly.

Plagg just grinned, with a glint of his fangs, and polished off the plate. Sweet, yet feisty—perfect for Tikki’s chosen. He’d have fun teasing her later.

By the time he drifted up to rejoin Adrien and switch off the light, Marinette was already asleep.


	11. Totally Not A Scaredy-Chat (Marichat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Pairing:** Marichat  
>  **Prompt:** Teasing kisses where one person blows air into the other’s mouth and runs away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii! Sorry for my lack of updates lately. Got hit with a bunch of deadlines and general busy-ness this week and weekend. After I post this, I have to work some more. :D Anyway, this was was fun to write. This was [Elcie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraculous_Elcie/pseuds/Miraculous_Elcie)'s request... thanks for the request!
> 
> In this universe, Chat visits Marinette now and then just to hang out, especially when he's not allowed out and could use a friend. Hope you like it~

Marinette and Chat Noir sat in tense silence, staring at the black screen as glitching credits rolled to an uncanny soundtrack of groaning brass. Realising her fists were clenched around handfuls of comforter, Marinette relaxed her muscles and remembered to breathe.

Something moved behind them, and she shrieked, flailing out a kick that managed to strike Chat in the side of his rump before she saw that it had only been his tail.

“Ow!” he cried, rubbing the sore spot. “What was that for?”

“Nothing.” Marinette laughed off her extreme reaction. “Just surprised. I forgot you had a tail.”

A sly glint crept into his eyes. “So jumpy… don’t tell me you’re  _ scared, _ Princess.”

“Psha, are you kidding me? I’m not scared—that movie was  _ not _ scary,” Marinette scoffed, flapping one hand dismissively as she slammed down the cover of the laptop with the other, cutting off that dreadful music. “The special effects were  _ so _ obvious.”

“That sounds  _ soooo  _ convincing,” Chat teased, leaning into her personal space. “I think you’re  _ scared!” _

Marinette shrieked and jumped when she felt something brush against her shoulder. She shoved Chat, who fell laughing against the wall that flanked her bed. “You did that on purpose!” she accused. “Keep your tail to yourself!”

Suddenly, the room was illuminated by a brilliant flash of light. Chat and Marinette both froze, staring at one another with bated breaths and wide eyes. A clap of thunder soon followed, then almost as suddenly the pounding of heavy globs of water hitting the roof, windowpane, and skylight.

“Oh, noooo…” Chat moaned in genuine despair, pouting. “I didn’t know it was supposed to storm.”

“Maybe it’s not so bad,” Marinette suggested. Judging from the sound of it, though, her optimism was futile. Nevertheless, she opened the skylight by a crack to get a clearer view without the blurry glass in the way—just enough to glimpse curtains of rain pelting down and feel the mist from raindrop ricochet in her eyelashes. The rain was so thick she could barely make out the silhouette of Notre Dame directly across the Seine. Hastily, she dropped the hatch before the wetness could bleed inside. “Nope… sorry, it’s pretty bad.”

Chat pulled a glum face. “Running in the rain sucks.” He didn’t want to admit to the fear that his staff would serve as a lightning rod and attract electric bolts—but that was a reasonable worry, wasn’t it?

Less reasonable, probably, was the paranoia that a shadowy figure would follow him home and snatch him away before he could get to his bed. He’d much rather stay here in Marinette’s warm, comforting room, imagining the company and conversation would ward away sinister intruders.

“Why don’t you just stay?” Marinette offered.

Chat’s eyes lit up. “Could I?”

“Sure, why not? I just have to ask Maman and Papa. Wait here.” It wouldn’t be the first time he’d spent the night, though last time had been an accident. Marinette’s parents already knew he was here watching a movie, and she was sure they wouldn’t want to send him out into the storm, either.

She shimmied down the ladder and through the halls, turning lights on as she went.

Sharply attuned to the minute unidentified house-sounds coming from the walls, she hummed a tune to keep unsettling thoughts at bay as she headed toward the bakery where her parents were preparing for the next day.

—

With a ‘yes’ in her pocket, Marinette dashed up the stairs from the bakery to the apartment—not wanting to spend any more time alone than she had to—and scrabbled back up the attic ladder, adrenaline spiking as she threw open the trap door to her room.

There was a yelp as Chat Noir jolted in surprise, nearly falling off the chaise longue, his usual sleeping place, where he had already curled up under a blanket.

“What in the world, Princess?” Chat looked frazzled as he sat up, collecting himself. “Did you really have to come stampeding in like something was chasing you?”

“I was excited to tell you—you can stay!” Marinette panted. “Of course, Papa gave the usual embarrassing warnings, not that they have anything to worry about.” She pulled a face of disgust.

Chat released a short laugh of relief. “Okay! Whew. Good. Thanks, Marinette. You know what they say about cats and water!”

“Won’t your parents be worried, though?” Marinette inquired, becoming more somber. “Shouldn’t you call them and let them know you’re staying with a friend to wait out the storm? You can use my phone if you’d have to, you know, detransform to get to yours.”

“Meh. They don’t know I’m gone,” he shrugged. “I’ll just go back early tomorrow, before they wake up.”

“How could they not know you’re gone?” He’d been over since seven, and it was already past ten. How could they miss their son being gone all evening?

“There’s no way out of my room except a door with a camera pointed at it. I’m supposed to be in my room, and as far as they know, I haven’t left. No one’s scheduled to bother me until the morning,” he joked with an edge of bitterness to his tone.

“Scheduled?” Marinette raised her eyebrow at his word choice. The thought of his bedroom door being watched by a camera was a bit weird, too.

“Never mind.” Chat shook his head, looking almost as gloomy as when he had first appeared on her balcony that evening.

“You’re upset again,” Marinette noted. “Do we need to watch another movie? Something happier, maybe? Disney?”

Chat’s face softened into a genuine smile. “Thanks for caring, Princess. I’m fine, and anyway, we’d better go to sleep… especially if I want to get up early enough to make it home before dawn.”

Marinette sighed, concerned about him but not wanting to pry if he didn’t feel like talking about it. She went over to her desk, opening drawers until she found a travel toothbrush and toothpaste in plastic from a flight to China a couple years ago. “Here.” She handed it to Chat. “The bathroom’s downstairs, to the right.”

“Thanks!” Accepting the toothbrush, he opened the trap door and began lowering himself down, only to pause when the cool air from the lower section of the house hit his face and an uncanny sense of foreboding tickled his nerves. He had the sudden mental image of a ghostly figure looming out of the darkness and passing through him, and shuddered.

“Uhh… does  _ that _ sink work?” He pointed at the one in her room.

She gave him a quizzical look. “Yeah?” Realization dawned on her. “Ooooh, don’t tell me you’re too much of a scaredy-cat to go downstairs by yourself.”

“I am not,” Chat huffed indignantly. “It would just be—weird if I ran into your parents.”

“Why would it be weird?” She crossed her arms, not fooled by his excuse. “They like you.”

“Anyway,” Chat skirted the topic, “why would I go all the way downstairs if this sink works?”

Marinette decided she would let him keep his dignity. “All right then, go on ahead and use it.” She turned away to hide a giggle at the relief evident on his face and extracted her pajamas from her closet. “I’m gonna go downstairs to wash up and change.”

Chat’s head whipped around. “You’re leaving?”

“Scaaaredy-Chaaat,” Marinette taunted, ducking under the trap door as he threw a pillow after her.

—

Fifteen minutes later, they were refreshed and tucked into their respective beds.

Marinette stared up at the ceiling, trying to banish thoughts of ghastly faces drifting out of the walls from her mind. “Mind if I put on some music?”

“Not at all! Go ahead,” Chat responded immediately, his voice tight.

She browsed through her library for something calming, and the playlist of music-box-style Ghibli songs caught her eye. She clicked.

The music, combined with the steady sound of rainfall, was soothing… at first.

As the minutes passed by, though, and the chiming notes continued to stir the air, punctuated by the timpani-roll of thunder, the childlike tunes began to sound sinister.

It sounded like the type of too-innocent music that prefaced the appearance of a macabre little girl dressed in white with a mat of tangled black hair, holding a ragged stuffed bunny that looked like it was plotting something.

Marinette’s hand edged toward her phone. She wanted to turn off the music, but then Chat Noir would find out she was scared. Her pride fought back against the mounting sense of dread in her chest. 

“Um, Marinette?” Chat’s voice drifted up quietly.

“Yeah?”

“That sounds kind of creepy.”

“Okay, you’re right,” Marinette exhaled in relief. “I’ll change it!”

She switched the playlist to Jagged Stone.

… which was much too noisy and exciting to fall asleep to, even played at a low volume, so she ended up just turning off the music.

Silent minutes stretched out like a desert of imagined horrors before Chat spoke up.

“What about Bach?” he suggested. “There’s nothing creepy about baroque.”

“Err… sure.” Marinette ran a search for Bach, but there were so many options she didn’t know what to pick. “Any particular suggestions?”

“Well-Tempered Clavier?”

Marinette clicked on an album with the matching name, and a vaguely familiar piano piece began to play. “… I guess this is okay. Relaxing enough.”

“Cat’s wisdom,” Chat gloated.

“That isn’t even a thing.”

“Sure it is. There are  _ hundreds _ of memes. Cats are very wise.”

Marinette snorted at the thought of Chat Noir wasting time looking up hundreds of cat memes.

They fell silent, and at last, Marinette began to drift off to sleep.

Until, almost imperceptibly, the grey twilight of sleep gave way to the stark mental image of chains dragging along the ground, accompanied by a vivid scraping.

With a jolt of terror, she was back to a state of acute wakefulness.

“What?! What’s wrong?!” A rustle indicated Chat had sat up abruptly, no doubt alarmed by Marinette’s jerky awakening.

“N-nothing,” Marinette mumbled, burying under her covers. Now the piano music had started to sound eerie after all, reminding her of a gothic mansion. She pictured the piano playing by itself, keys depressing like gap teeth. Fumbling for her phone, she turned it off. “Why are you still awake?”

“It’s been like five minutes, Marinette,” Chat laughed, sounding strained. “Why’d you turn off the music?”

“It was a little distr— _ eep!” _

A clap of thunder struck at the same time as the room filled with light again, derailing Marinette’s train of thought. There was another commotion from inside the room as Chat scrambled up the ladder to Marinette’s bed.

“H-hey! What are you doing?!” Marinette shrieked, the way he was moving reminding her a little too much of the way the undead children moved in the film. She kicked out in his direction, fending off his approach. He was still too far away, only at the foot of the bed, but he paused and looked over his shoulder.

“Shhh!” he hissed. “Do you want your parents to hear? I’m not gonna do anything! It’s just—I feel too exposed down there!”

“Exposed?” Marinette let out a laugh of disbelief that he was actually sort of admitting he was afraid. “And that’s a good reason to accost me in my bed?”

“Princess! I’m hurt by your implications. I’m very trustworthy and most  _ certainly  _ don’t have any ulterior—all right,  _ fine, _ I’ll just stay down here.” He curled up at her feet like a real cat, then added in a mewling tone, “Please don’t kick  _ meow-t.” _

She poked him with her toe. “I was joking—you don’t have to stay like that.”

“It’s fine,” he mumbled.

“You’ll wake up sore.”

“No, I won’t.” He stubbornly stayed curled up.

Marinette poked him again. “There’s plenty of room for you to lay down normally.”

“… If you insist,” Chat relented, crawling up and stretching out beside her with feigned reluctance, as if he hadn’t essentially wheedled his way into her bed.

There was another flash and roar, and Marinette felt Chat’s body tense beside her. He really was spooked. The thought somehow loosened the grip of Marinette’s own fright.

“You know what Maman does at times like this?” she asked.

“What?” Chat returned cautiously.

“She gives me a hug. Want one?”

Chat didn’t answer right away, and Marinette questioned her decision to offer a boy a hug in her bed. Maybe that was crossing a line.

“Just a platonic one,” she clarified, just in case. “Because of the storm, and to help us sleep. Hugs are nice!—I’m not making fun of you, I promise.”

“You  _ paw- _ mise?” She could hear the grin in his voice.

She poked him in the rib, causing him to recoil defensively. “Couldn’t resist, could you?”

“—Yeah, please, I accept,” he hurriedly responded to her offer before she could forget about it. “I’d like a hug.” He scooted forward slightly and let Marinette wrap her arms around him.

At first, the hug was stiff and awkward, then he relaxed and leaned into it, his head finding her shoulder, shyly reciprocating with an arm looped around her waist.

“Thanks. My mom used to give me hugs during storms, too,” he confessed.

This time, when lightning struck at almost the same time as the rumble of thunder that reverberated through the house, Chat didn’t freeze up—he only buried deeper into Marinette’s shoulder, but his body felt relaxed.

He was mentioning more details about his civilian life than usual today, Marinette noticed. He had seemed raw earlier that evening, so she didn’t jab him about it as Ladybug might have done. Maybe he needed to get things off his chest, even little hints of things that were bothering him.

The words ‘used to’ in connection with his mom stuck out. Marinette wondered if it was past-tense because he’d grown out of it, or if his mother was… not part of his life anymore.

In case it was the latter, Marinette tightened the hug. Cradling his head with her right arm, she reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair.

He sighed, hot breath fanning against the bare skin of her arm.

“Feel better?” she asked.

“Yeah. You?”

“Yeah.” She laughed lightly. “This kind of reminds me of… never mind.” She’d been about to say, the time Reverser got them and she’d had to comfort and coax him through every little thing. He’d been somehow really cute like that.

_ Cute? _ Where had that come from?

Endearing. That was a better word. She was exceedingly fond of her partner in a platonic way.

Chat shifted to look at her face. “Reminds you of what?”

The words were accompanied by the faint scent of mint, drawing her attention to the fact that their faces were only a few centimeters apart. He was warm, his voice more gravelly than she remembered, and when his verdant eyes caught the lightning, they looked strangely beautiful, like gems.

“Nothing,” she whispered. “Forget I said anything.”

She felt self-conscious, wondering whether she should take her arms back and stop hugging him—but he looked so relaxed, eyes half-lidded and just watching her face with an indecipherable expression. She didn’t want to seem cold by retracting her affection. Maybe he could fall asleep like this soon, and then she could withdraw. (She didn’t think  _ she  _ could fall asleep, though.)

…Why did she feel so vulnerable around him, all of a sudden? It wasn’t like they’d never been this close before. But then again, there was always  _ something _ going on to distract them from paying too much attention to one another.

He was close enough that she could nod her head forward and her nose would nudge his. As if pulled by a string of curiosity into an unexplored room, her mind began to wander, considering what that might lead to.

She almost wanted to try, and for some reason, the thought wasn’t as unwelcome in her mind as it once would have been. Her heart rate picked up as they held one another’s gaze for a few silent moments. Was it true that you could fall in love with a person just by holding eye contact for four minutes? She thought she recalled a study about that.

Suddenly, he yawned, breaking the mood. On impulse, Marinette blew a puff of air into his mouth, making a mockery of what could have happened.

He spluttered, and she took the opportunity to break the embrace, flipping over onto her other side so that her back was to him. 

“G’night, Chat,” she managed, cheeks burning secretly.

“Gross, Princess.” The mattress shifted as he turned his back on her, too.

“Shut up, I brushed my teeth,” she quipped, wondering what he was thinking… if he’d caught on to what was maybe, possibly about to happen. Or maybe it was only her. 

Feeling a bit cold and afraid now that she was no longer touching Chat, she edged backward until the curve of her spine made contact with his.

Her blush flared back to life when she felt the slightest weight flick and settle over her waist. She knew what that was. Did he realize his tail was draped over her? Probably not. It was just a belt that he often took off so she could use it with her lucky charm. Not like a real appendage of his or anything. No big deal.

“Thanks for the hug.” His voice sounded sweetly unguarded, matching the current state of her heart. “And the company. I like spending time with you.”

“Me too,” Marinette answered. It wasn’t quite a logical response, and came out barely above a whisper. She didn’t want to say too much and give herself away.

“You don’t mind me sleeping here?” he asked cautiously.

“You can stay if you want,” Marinette murmured, twisting the duvet between her fingers. “… I trust you.”

If she was being honest with herself, his presence was comforting, and transformed the  periodic  rolling of thunder into a pleasant soundtrack.

“Thanks,” he breathed. “G’night, Princess.”

Silence fell between them, and breathing steadied in a mutual semblance of sleep, though it was a long time in coming for both. This time, they couldn’t blame their insomnia on images of phantoms and zombies, as their thoughts lingered much closer to home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3
> 
> I guess I cheated a bit with the so-called "kiss." :P I do what I want! :P ^__^


	12. A Second Chance (Snekmouse)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Pairing:** Snekmouse (Aspik/Multimouse)  
>  **Prompt:** _An unexpected kiss that shocks the one receiving it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally [Alex Seanchai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieMurasaki/pseuds/AlexSeanchai)'s request, and coincidentally, [someone else](https://partialdisclosure-kmrp.tumblr.com/) (not sure what name you go by, sorry) requested the same prompt. Hope you enjoy.

A game of smoke and mirrors called for special abilities. Ladybug’s yo-yo kept getting tangled on illusions, and they kept attacking one another—and that was only fighting the phantoms _before_ entering the booby-trap-laden labyrinth of a funhouse where the akuma had retreated—so they decided to get help.

“I’ll pick one, you pick one,” Ladybug urged, giving him half the responsibility because she trusted him, and they were figuring out how to _share_ the burden of guardianship even though she was the one carrying the miraculous.

“I choose Multimouse,” he announced confidently, holding out a hand for the miraculous.

“Multimouse?” Ladybug stiffened, already starting to wrack her mind for an excuse why not.

“She’d be perfect. The Magician can switch the traps around as soon as we pick a route, but if we attack from all angles?” Chat reasoned, “He won’t have the time.”

“Bold of us to send a mouse into a trap,” Ladybug joked darkly, but he had a point. Also… _time._ That gave her an idea.

“… All right,” she conceded, reaching into her yo-yo to extract the hexagonal wooden box and handing it to him. This time, she was planning the most efficient route to get the miraculous to her target and arrive back home in time for Chat Noir to find her out of costume. “Time will be on our side with Aspik on the team.”

Chat Noir blanched. “A-Aspik? Not Viperion?”

(He already knew the answer, but he had to play his role anyway.)

“Viperion is—” On tour in America. She couldn’t have asked him to put his life on hold on the _chance_ that he might be needed. “—unavailable.”

Chat set his jaw and nodded. “Meet back here in twenty, then.”

Ladybug breathed a secret sigh of relief at the generous time window. As if he’d, inexplicably, read her mind. He was a good kitty.

—

Multimouse was determined to stay focused this time. Even though she didn’t _remember,_ she could tell from Adrien’s haggard appearance during the fight with Desperada how much of a toll her selfishness had taken upon him, after countless (no, not countless— _painstakingly_ _counted)_ failed attempts.

She wouldn’t put Adrien through that again. So this time, she kept her mind steeled and her eyes from wandering. Better if they didn’t have to use Second Chance at all.

What she didn’t expect—however—was for _him_ to be so persistently distracting.

By the third “Little Lady” and the fifth “Mousinette” (what was it with nicknames uncannily close to her real name?), she had to wonder if it was really still Adrien under the mask, or if Chat had secretly swapped his miraculous for the snake’s. Yet—no, she distinctly remembered handing the miraculous to _Adrien_ and watching him transform right in front of her.

At least he was remarkably good at keeping up with combat despite all the verbal tomfoolery, so she couldn’t complain, and she tried not to enjoy the attention _too_ much.

“Where’s Ladybug, anyway?” Aspik asked chipperly, when they had dealt with the phantoms, on the brink of launching their grand plan.

“You didn’t see her message?” Multimouse cocked her head. “She texted us to say she’d be joining us later.”

A brief look of confusion flashed across his face as he bent to check his lyre’s communication device, then nodded in understanding.

The question vaguely crossed Multimouse’s mind why he didn’t ask about Chat Noir—and where was that cat, anyway? She was about to bring it up, when a sound from the funhouse drew her attention to the more pressing matter at hand.

She turned to the entrance. _We’ll do it right this time, no distractions,_ she thought with grit teeth, when a voice oozing with cheeky jocundity remarked from behind,

“That’s a shame, would’ve been _mice_ to have a pinch of luck to tip the _scales_ in our favor.”

Multimouse did a double-take, mouth falling open slightly as she threw a glance over her shoulder, half-expecting to see her leather-clad partner standing there leaning on his baton. Nope, that was definitely still Adrien Agreste in snakeskin.

A mystery for later. Now it was time for business. “Everything in place?”

Aspik dragged the snakehead across his wrist, muttering “Second Chance,” and nodded again.

And that was when his demeanor changed.

Flirty Aspik was gone. The bounce disappeared from his step, and the dark lines of his eyes seemed carved deeper, casting shadows. The starkness of the difference, just like in the sewer during the fight with Desperada, alerted Multimouse that there had been a number of Second Chances. How many?

Her stomach twisted, and she had to remind herself again that the mission was the _most_ important, that she couldn’t just drop everything to take care of her precious boy.

“Once you get past the foyer, take the second, third, and fourth doors,” he hissed as she divided. “Do _not_ touch the first or fifth—or any of the curtains—and veer left _immediately_ after you enter the third, because there’s a trap. Once you clear the entrance, make sure the akuma doesn’t see you until you get through the maze, or he’ll activate more traps and we’ll need to start over.” He said it in a practiced rush, getting it all out in two breaths, and made a few swipes to the lyre-phone screen. “Sent you the maze directions. All safe paths are marked—take them all. We need _all_ of you to get through, or it won’t be enough.”

Multimouse moved quickly, but not so quickly that she (they) missed the parting look on his face. A gut-wrenching look of longing, concern, fear, and pain.

She didn’t have time to think about what dangers lay ahead and what he might have witnessed.

—

In a blur, it was all over. She didn’t know how many times they had tried, but this time they made it through. Aspik broke the object, and now Multimouse had the purple butterfly squeezed tight in her fist, sending tingles of energy up her forearm. She and Aspik had fought as a team and _won._

Only, the partial victory didn’t seem as important as putting on her spots, purifying the akuma, and getting out of there as soon as possible to make sure Adrien was okay.

Before she could open her mouth to utter an excuse to slip away and transform, Aspik closed in on her and swept her up in his arms, and the tingling energy of the akuma seemed to have traveled all the way up her arm to her heart, because it was fluttering wildly at the contact. And suddenly he was kissing her, whispering “My Lady,” and rocking her back and forth as if to comfort her.

She wasn’t in need of comfort, but _he_ clearly was. Swallowing the shock of the name he’d called her and the fact that his lips were touching hers, she kissed him back and wiped his tears with her free hand, as her brain caught up to exactly what was happening and whom she was kissing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, this one ended up being a tad more angsty than I intended, and went in a direction away from the silly aspect of the pairing that I appreciate, but I think it turned out all right anyway. Definitely want to write more Snekmouse.
> 
> I like to think that, because Adrien doesn't know how familiar Marinette is with Chat Noir, he wouldn't modify his behavior all that much around her, but act much like he does in Evillustrator. ^.^;


	13. Still You (Ladynoir)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Pairing:** Ladynoir  
>  **Prompt:** _A kiss so desperate that the two wind around each other, refusing to let go until they are finished._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh... this was way more angsty than I would normally ever write, but I was feeling really depressed the other day and needed to get this out of my system before I could write anything else. NEVER thought I'd write an "enemy AU" (well, more like a potential future timeline), but, here we are.

He hadn’t been back to school for months, the miracle box was in Hawkmoth’s hands, and Marinette was _tired._

She was tired of the endless onslaught of akumas and sentimonsters, tired of doing this alone, but most of all, she was tired of fighting _him._ It wasn’t just the bone-deep exhaustion that suffused her body, but a soul-weariness made her feel constantly on the verge of mental collapse.

The one saving grace was that aside from Mayura, Hawkmoth didn’t have any allies he could trust, so new villains had stayed off the roster for now. By the same token, Ladybug didn’t have any allies either, and more than anything, she wanted her partner back.

—

Once the akuma was purified, she managed to catch him before he disappeared into the shadows again like an enigma. Resembling a spider more than a ladybug, she bound him like prey and dragged him into an alley, faster than the media could follow, and pinned him against the wall, one arm tight across his throat.

“C-Chat Noir,” she choked between sobs, unable to keep angry tears from overflowing. “Why are you doing this to me? What’s happened to you? He’s poisoned you! You can’t listen to his lies! He’s a damned liar, a psychopath, and he’s—”

“Shh… My Lady,” Chat rasped in a reverent whisper, and she suddenly realized he wasn’t struggling at all. Instead, he lay limp against the cold stone like a ragdoll, eyes soft and luminescent, lost and heavy with melancholy. “I’m… sorry. I’m so… so sorry.”

“W-why?” Ladybug let her arm drop, and Chat Noir slumped, coughing. “I… don’t understand,” she whimpered, not certain if she could trust him. This could all be an act. His arms and legs were still bound, and she kept her grip on her yo-yo firm in case he tried to escape.

Chat looked left and right, like a skittish animal checking for predators, before speaking in a low whisper. “He knows, LB. He knows who you are. There’s nothing stopping him from taking hostages, hurting your loved ones—to force your hand. _I have no choice._ He’s practically holding me—holding all of us—at gunpoint. I’m only—” his voice wavered, and he swallowed, steadying himself before continuing, even quieter than before. “I’m only going along with him to buy us more time. So I can take him down.”

Ladybug’s breathing quickened, and she stared hard into Chat Noir’s eyes, searching them for any indication that he was lying. She found none; only the warmth, passion, and love of the partner she had trusted.

With an involuntary sob, she let her yo-yo’s twine slacken, and launched herself at him. “I-I need you, Chat Noir,” she sobbed, wrapping her arms around him as she fell apart. “I c-can’t do this alone anymore. It’s… it’s too m-much. I-I don’t know h-how long I can… keep this up, I—I’m not strong enough—” Her sobbing intensified, and the last words escaped in a wail—“I m-miss you, Chaton… I n-need you! P-please come b-back to me…”

“I’m sorry,” Chat uttered brokenly in a tone soft as feathers, stroking her hair and holding her to his chest, kissing the top of her head, her temple, any part of her his lips could touch. “I’m so sorry, My Lady… my love. I can’t come back yet.”

He was still murmuring apologies against her cheekbone, lapping up her tears, when her lips found his. She kissed him fiercely, one hand burying in his hair to pull his head down to hers, while the other tightened around his waist, as if trying to fuse them together.

Chat Noir had needed to keep his composure, to exercise the utmost self-control for months—but as soon as Ladybug’s lips met his, the last threads of constraint unraveled. Chest heaving with sobs, his own salty tears mixing with hers, he returned her kiss with desperation, lifting her up by the waist so her legs could wrap around him.

He sank to the ground, still intertwined with her, lips and tongues moving in a hungry dance to get closer, closer. There was no need for confessions when they understood one another without words. Nothing else mattered in the world—only her— _she_ was home, she was the only thing that made sense anymore, the only thing keeping him from the edge of a breakdown.

Neither one could say how much time passed before the flame of passion quieted to an ember. They sat in an exhausted heap in the dark of the alley, limbs entangled, breathing together, imagining that they were one again.

And yet, they both knew this was only stolen time, and someone would have to pay.

“I _will_ take him down,” Chat swore with conviction, stroking back her bangs to press a kiss of promise to her forehead. “That man is not my father anymore. Never doubt that I’m on your side, Bugaboo.”

Ladybug shook her head mutely, biting back tears at how much of a balm the old nickname was to her wounded spirit.

Chat leaned in, trying to meet her eyes to find out what she meant to deny. She just held him close, eyelids lowered, too pained at the thought of parting with him to bear the intensity of meeting his gaze. She carved into memory the way his arms felt around her, not knowing how long she would have to use the memory as fighting fuel before she could rely on his presence again.

“No, Chaton… _We_ will take him down,” she vowed in a whisper, tremulous with quiet rage and determination.


	14. Phantasm (Adrigami)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Pairing:** Adrigami  
>  **Prompt:** _Morning kisses that are exchanged before either person opens their eyes, kissing blindly until their lips meet in a blissful encounter._

Wisps of a dream collapse, fading like a mirage as sunlight bleeds through his eyelids. He remembers endless blue framed with red, cheeks sweetly dimpled at the corners of upturned lips, a tinkling laugh.

He squeezes his eyes shut. Not ready to get up yet.

The sheets are soft, the mattress firm and infused with an unfamiliar scent. He remembers this isn’t his bed.

Hair tickles his cheek, colder and smoother than his own. He nuzzles closer, smelling ginger and peach.

That’s right. Kagami’s hair. Kagami’s hand resting unwittingly against his chest.

His groggy mind sorts slowly between dream and reality, the name ‘Kagami’ causing faint ripples of surprise and confusion that recede into the vast, serene lake of realization as he settles back into the present. That’s right.  _ This  _ is the path he chose.

Reaching out a hand blindly, he touches her waist and runs his hand up her ribcage, gliding over the silk of her pyjamas. The sheets rustle as she stirs, moving closer.

Her forehead bumps, softly and clumsily, against his nose and mouth. He brushes a kiss against her cool skin as she moves on to nestle under his chin, finding a cozy spot. She fits perfectly in his arms, but there’s something bittersweet about how trustingly she offers herself to him.

He drops a kiss on her head, and she shifts again, turning her face upward to catch his jaw against her lips.

With her eyelashes tickling his lips, he follows the bridge of her nose downward, placing another kiss on the apple of her cheek.

Noses bump in a lazy greeting, and finally their lips meet, touching lightly in a gentle caress.

He lets his eyes crack open, to find hers still shut, eyelashes lying against flawless cheeks sprinkled with honey-brown freckles. She looks so precious, so vulnerable, and—again, so trusting—as she lets him kiss her with her eyes closed.

A lump forms in his throat. He wants to want her. He wants to be responsible with her heart… but a part of him is aching because she isn’t the first one on his mind when he wakes up each morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, "blissful," right! Sorry. :P
> 
> Umm. The first version of this that I had jotted notes for was more lighthearted and Adrien's feelings were genuine. Should I write that one? I don't know, the mood shifted when I was writing and this came out.


	15. Spaces (Snekmouse)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _One person stopping a kiss to ask “Do you want to do this?”, only to have the other person answer with a deeper, more passionate kiss._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Listen to me narrate this with background music on YouTube.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDHzrRmIbnA)

He notices early on that Multimouse pays him special attention.

Not when he’s Adrien, but when he’s Aspik. It’s strange adjusting to regular patrols in two different masks, but Ladybug has decided this is the best way to keep Hawkmoth on his feet and hone all the heroes’ abilities.

He isn’t  _ always  _ with Multimouse, but when happenstance puts them together, he notices that she acts differently around him.

It’s in the way her eyes linger on him a moment longer than usual after they put their heads together to plan a route, or the way he catches her staring for no reason when she thinks he isn’t looking.

It’s in the way she grasps his hands and guides his body when they alight on precarious perches, as if he needs help getting his balance. He recognizes the little excuses to touch, because he’s done the same with Ladybug.

Marinette isn’t usually like this toward Adrien. He hasn’t quite figured out why she acts the way she does around him as a civilian. He thought at first that maybe Marinette was shy or had social anxiety, from the way her eyes would dart away from his whenever he looked at her, or the way she’d mix up her words—but she only acts like that around Adrien.

When he realized that, it made him sick with worry for a week, thinking he’d done something to make her feel uncomfortable and unable to figure out what it was.

Nino has hinted that it’s because she likes him. Mostly in accidental slips, but after believing the first few cover-ups, Adrien has finally caught on.

That can’t be it, though. There’s no way she likes Adrien.

Because he’s sure  _ this  _ is what it feels like to be liked by Marinette—when they’re Multimouse and Aspik. She brings him croquettes to eat before patrol, and never misses asking him how his day has been as they survey Paris. She laughs at all his jokes and slips in her own, eyes twinkling in a way that makes him feel proud to share a secret with her. Aside from Ladybug, he hasn’t felt as connected to any other hero as he has to  _ her. _

But that’s a given, isn’t it? She’s his friend, and that makes her special—not that she knows that.

Nonetheless, he can read in her body language that he’s special to her, too. He’s started to feel like he’s just  _ waiting  _ for her to say what’s really on her mind because he can already read it in the nuance of her expression and the spaces between her words.

He finds himself getting intoxicated by the idea of her longing for him. He wonders what she sees in Aspik. He turns up his charm dial, somewhere in between Adrien and Chat Noir, just to see how she’ll react. The fetching peach hue that blossoms under her mask after he delivers a particularly suave line is quickly becoming his favorite color.

Before he knows it, he’s become obsessed with her, even in his civilian life—dropping lines about snakes and about mice in school to flirt with exposing their hidden connection, documenting which drink she chooses during lunch, which designer she’s paying attention to, what music is her current favorite. Trying to get through a conversation with her without making her nervous has become a game for him, with bonus points if he can make her laugh. He must be doing something right, because his attempts are more and more successful.

Slowly, day by day, it doesn’t feel as different, whether they're behind masks or not.

Maybe she doesn’t like him that way—she likes  _ Aspik _ —but at least their friendship feels comfortable for the first time. He knows he should be satisfied with that, but he finds himself bogged down by a strange discontent. It takes him a while to admit to himself that he’s longing for more.

And then the sunset happens.

The sunset itself isn’t very important. The sunset is only a catalyst.

It’s an unusually spectacular sunset, with the sky streaked with layers of clouds in shades of purple starkly contrasted against a saturated pink-to-salmon backdrop. He points it out to her, but his gaze never makes its back to the sky. He’s too entranced with the way her irises reflect it like pools of water, how plump and healthy her cheeks look, and how a tiny dimple forms at the left corner of her mouth when she smiles that wide.

It’s only her look of astonishment when she turns back to him that makes him realize he’s been staring, slack-jawed.

They’ve grown accustomed to standing close, since there isn’t always much space on gables and chimney stacks. She’s pressed against him, his arm around her waist as they perch together on the roof of an apartment building facing west.

It’s a practical position, but suddenly he’s hyper-aware of every point of contact. She seems just as captivated by his eyes as he is by hers, because neither of them looks away until they’re too close to keep their eyes open.

Their lips brush. Once, twice, exploring tentatively. His arm tightens around her waist.

He’s about to kiss her for real when her thumb skims his cheek, a gentle caress that tells him her retreat is not a rejection.

“Are you sure you want this?” she asks breathlessly, lips glistening irresistibly in the fading amber glow. “You don’t even know who I—”

“Marinette,  _ yes,” _ Aspik whispers, a centimetre from her lips, before diving in to capture them again. He tastes her surprise only for a moment before she abandons herself, murmuring his civilian name in the spaces between their kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Inkshila drew amazing fanart for this fic!](https://inkshila.tumblr.com/post/614691720994635776/snekmouse-commission) Go check it out!

**Author's Note:**

> [Request a kiss?](https://mireilletan.tumblr.com/post/190143542890/send-me-a-request)


End file.
